The United Nations Security Council has called for a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan, marking its first demand to stop the fighting.
The United States abstained in a vote on the resolution, which also called for the release of all hostages taken during Hamas' surprise attack in southern Israel on October 7th. The demand however is not linked to the proposed ceasefire during Ramadan, which concludes on April 9th.
This decision follows Russia and China's veto of a US-backed resolution last Friday, which would have supported "an immediate and sustained cease-fire" in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. But US officials expressed concerns that Monday's approved resolution could hinder ongoing negotiations to end hostilities led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, raising the possibility of another veto, potentially from the Americans this time.
The resolution, proposed by the ten elected council members, has the support of Russia, China, and the 22-nation Arab Group at the United Nations. On Friday night, the Arab Group issued a statement urging all 15 council members "to act with unity and urgency" and vote for the resolution "to halt the bloodshed, preserve human lives and avert further human suffering and destruction." "It is long past time for a cease-fire," stated the Arab Group. As Ramadan ends next month, the demanded ceasefire would only last two weeks. However, the draft suggests that this temporary pause in fighting should lead "to a permanent sustainable cease-fire."
The United Nations Security Council meets on the situation in the Middle East (AFP via Getty Images)The Security Council has passed two resolutions about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza since the war began in October, but none have called for a cease-fire. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza have lost their lives during the conflict. The agency doesn't distinguish between civilians and fighters in its count, but it does say that women and children makeup two-thirds of those who have died.
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Gaza is also facing a severe humanitarian crisis. An international authority on hunger warned on March 18 that "famine is imminent" in northern Gaza. They said that if the war escalates, it could push half of Gaza's 2.3 million people to the brink of starvation. US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council on Friday that the resolution's wording "fails to support sensitive diplomacy in the region. Worse, it could actually give Hamas an excuse to walk away from the deal on the table."
"We should not move forward with any resolution that jeopardises the ongoing negotiations," she said. She warned that if the diplomacy isn't supported, "we may once again find this council deadlocked", adding that: "I truly hope that that does not come about." America has vetoed three resolutions calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, the most recent being an Arab-backed measure on February 20. That resolution was supported by 13 council members with one abstention, showing the overwhelming support for a cease-fire.
Russia and China have blocked a US-sponsored resolution calling for a halt to the fighting in Gaza, claiming it doesn't reflect global calls for a cease-fire. They vetoed the resolution again on Friday, labelling it as unclear and not the direct demand to end the fighting that much of the world is asking for. This vote has become another face-off between world powers who are already involved in tense disputes elsewhere. The United States has been criticised for not being tough enough against its ally Israel, even as tensions between the two countries increase.
A key point of contention was the unusual wording in the US draft. It stated that the Security Council "determines the imperative of an immediate and sustained cease-fire." This phrasing wasn't a straightforward "demand" or "call" to stop hostilities. Before the vote, Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow supports an immediate cease-fire, but he criticised the diluted language, which he called philosophical wording that does not belong in a UN resolution.
Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan speaks during the crucial meeting (AFP via Getty Images)He accused US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Linda Thomas-Greenfield of "deliberately misleading the international community" about calling for a cease-fire. Nebenzia expressed his displeasure by saying, "This was some kind of an empty rhetorical exercise," adding that the American proposal was incredibly political and only aiming to appeal to voters with a mention of a ceasefire in Gaza while ensuring Israel's actions aren't judged.
Zhang Jun, China's UN ambassador, hit out at the US claiming that their proposal fell short of expectations, laying out conditions before an agreement could be reached. He said: "If the US was serious about a cease-fire, it wouldn't have vetoed time and again multiple council resolutions," accusing them of playing word games and avoiding clear stances on significant issues.
The 15-member council saw Friday's vote end with 11 in favour and three against, including Algeria, the Arabian representative. Guyana abstained from voting. Ms Thomas-Greenfield cast blame on Russia and China after the vote, stating they vetoed the resolution for "deeply cynical reasons," suggesting they were unwilling to condemn Hamas' terrorist activities in southern Israel on October 7, which the resolution was set to acknowledge for the first time.
She said one "petty" reason is that "Russia and China simply did not want to vote for a resolution that was penned by the United States, because it would rather see us fail than to see this council succeed." She also slammed Russia for choosing "politics over progress" and criticised them for their actions after they invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
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